Clarity of Leases

Writers of legal documents like leases must be clear. If a document has two or more possible meanings, a reader may assume, and the law will enforce, any reasonable interpretation of the document by the reader. Landlords need to be clear in their documentation, as almost all leases are written by landlords. If there is ambiguity, a tenant may read a lease in a manner that is more favourable to the tenant than intended by the landlord.

For example, using the word “deposit” suggests that the money deposited is refundable, unless clearly stated otherwise. Using the term “fee” would not lead a reader to believe that the money would be returned.